I could probably do an entire post on light requirements in the garden, but IвЂ™m just going to keep it simple.

Partial Shade means 2 вЂ“ 4 hours of sun per day. Shade means less that 2 hours of sun a day. Here are a few Shade Garden Tips that IвЂ™ve found helpful: Shade vs. Once they are mulched in the spring, itвЂ™s just some very minimal weeding and watering to keep them looking good. My shade gardens are the best low maintenance gardens. Here is my good friend, JulieвЂ™s shade garden oasis.

Caladium вЂ“ grown from a bulb and in warmer zones as a perennial.

To add consistent pops of color in my shade gardens, I always add a variety of annuals.

Columbine (Aquilegia) вЂ“ a late spring early summer bloomer that works well in part shade.JacobвЂ™s Ladder (Polemonium) вЂ“ very cool foliage.Hydrangeas вЂ“ lots of varieties work well in shade, especially Annabelle.Lungwort (Pulmonaria) вЂ“ a lovely plant with spotted foliage and pink flowers in the summer.Coral Bells вЂ“ many, many varieties grown mainly for their lovely foliage.Ligularia вЂ“ beautiful foliage with spikes of yellow flowers.Corydalis вЂ“ sometimes referred to as yellow bleeding hearts, but IвЂ™m not sure if they are even in the same family.Brunnera вЂ“ has tiny blue forget-me-not type flowers that bloom in the spring (seen in the picture below).Goatsbeard вЂ“ spikes of white plume flowers that bloom for a few weeks in mid summer.Astilbe вЂ“ lots of different varieties and blooms in early summer.Bleeding Heart вЂ“ this perennial can get quite large and blooms in the spring.Bugleweed (Ajuga) вЂ“ another groundcover that flowers in spring (seen in the picture below).Lamium вЂ“ a lovely groundcover that flowers most of the season.Ferns вЂ“ my favorites are: Japanese Painted Fern, Maidenhair Fern and Lady Fern.Hosta вЂ“ there are thousands of varieties of Hosta.Be sure to watch for the words: invasive or vigorous spreader, and stay away from those varieties. ItвЂ™s also fun to do a Google search for shade perennials in your gardening zone to come up with many more varieties. For more ideas and pictures of shade plants, be sure to check out вЂ“ 20 Perennials for Shade to Jazz Up Your Gardens when youвЂ™ve finished up here. There are lots of other Perennials for Shade, but I am listing the ones I am most familiar with and have actually grown. When designing your Shade Garden, be sure to use a variety of perennials for different textures and color and add in some annuals for lots of pops of color. The general principles of garden design that are covered in that article are the same ones used in Shade Garden Design. If you need some help with Garden Design, take a few minutes to check out Flower Garden Design. The beauty of gardening with perennials is that most donвЂ™t mind if you move them around. Try not to overthink design, especially if youвЂ™re a beginning gardener. I may receive a small commission atВ no additional cost to you. Perhaps youвЂ™ll leave with a few ideas or tricks to try in your own Shade Gardens. Come along on this virtual shade garden tour that includes some Tips for Gardening in Shade, as well as some Shade Gardening Ideas. IвЂ™ve been lucky enough in both of my yards to have both sun and shade gardens, but my favorite place to take a break in my gardens is in one of the shady spots.ДЄlthough beautiful and serene, Shade Gardening can sometimes have its challenges. ThereвЂ™s just something so tranquil and serene about shade gardens.

Shade garden